 Rhibear ~ Madam Solo ~ Dark Brooding Girl ~ Accio Jedi ~ Gryffinclaw ~ Just a doll
Gaston nodded in reply to Foster and Joshua. Between Scrimgeour's rules limiting his contact with Rose and Desiree and his friends being wrongfully fired one by one, he'd felt so alone for so long! Although he still didn't know the newcomers well, just knowing they were on the same side comforted him. "Good, I'm glad you're on our side," he said with a small smile, casting a quick glance at Katrina to say his words applied to her as well.
Blue eyes shifted apprehensively toward the door. He half-expected the alarm to go off at any moment, though he didn't dare draw his wand. If he did, he feared all the anger he'd been bottling up for months would burst out through his magic... which it almost did as he started talking about his past. Thankfully, he calmed down before the lights went out or glass started shattering. Heart still racing, he all but collapsed into the chair Foster summoned, staring in a daze. He still couldn't believe what he'd just done! Talking about his past helped somewhat; at least his anger was no longer trapped inside, slowly eating away at him. But how would everyone react now that they knew? They could easily use that information against him if they wanted. "As you just saw, I have some traits in common with... that thing I almost became," he said sadly, pleading eyes darting from one face to the next. "You won't tell anyone, will you? You're the only ones here who know..."'
Gaston blinked dumbly at the younger men's words, genuinely shocked at the outpouring of understanding.
He bit his lip, listening as they talked. He was too lost in the tragic memories of his childhood that had constantly haunted him since the start of the term to add anything at the moment. Besides, he'd been unintentionally dominating the conversation so far; it was time to give someone else a chance. He nodded in agreement with Foster. managing a small smile at the mention of Kaysha. He'd known her the longest of all the professors here; he missed seeing her around the castle!
Foster was right... about the firings being unjustified and about their numbers. There were five replacements, counting Scrimgeour, and only four of them - and it was still a very real possibility that someone else could be fired at any moment. They needed backup, but suddenly Gaston just thought of something. "Do you think the fired staff would want to help?" he asked. Merlin knows if he was fired, he would never set foot in this school again! Even if they got rid of Scrimgeour, the Board of Governors wasn't going anywhere, and it would only be a matter of time before they scapegoated the staff for something else. As far as Gaston was concerned, they were equally guilty! None of this would've happened if they hadn't sent that tyrant here...
Gaston was jerked out of his thoughts by Joshua's suggestions. Just the mention of fire was enough to make him shudder. Images of the fateful night he lost half his sight and very nearly all of his daughter's love replayed in his mind... flames flying in all directions, children crying, rotting hands grabbing and clawing at him. He shook his head, both to reply to the fire message idea and to make the memories die. The herbologist's other suggestion, however, was something they could work with! "A coded message could work," he said, already pulling his pen and little black book out of his jacket pocket.
Then an idea occurred to him. "We could make it look like something it's not, like a shop order form," he went on. "It's not implausible for a professor to run out of supplies like quills or parchment mid-year, so that shouldn't raise any eyebrows, as long as the items aren't contraband..." He glanced around for signs of approval.
__________________ Old voices I had thought long since dead whisper of another life I might have led
If I could take that second chance, If I could make my life anew, If only dreams came true... |